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Job Site Diaries

Construction Site Rules

By Matt Risinger
Job signage is important, but it's just as important to review the rules with your employees and sub-contractors. 

I got a comment from a blog follower that he wanted to see our job rules sign in greater depth, so I thought I’d post these here.  I have these made into metal signs that I can post on the fence, near the porta-potty, or inside the house.  They run about $10 each when you get them made in bulk.  We also have our sub-contractors sign a copy of these as part of their master sub-contractor agreement.

Risinger Homes Job Rules Sign:

Treat others how you would want to be treated!  Respect the neighbors; Respect the work of other Trades.  This home will be around for you to drive your grandchildren by and tell them you built this! Homebuilding is a noble profession; take pride in what you’re doing!

¡Trate los otros cómo usted querría ser tratado! Respete a los vecinos; Respete el trabajo de otros Comercios. Esté orgulloso de lo que usted hace. ¡Este hogar será alrededor para que usted puede ensenar a sus nietos y decirles que usted construyó esto! ¡La construction es una profesión noble!

“When we build, let us think that we build forever.  Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone.  Let it be such work as our descendants will thank us…” -John Ruskin 1849

“Cuando construimos, permitámosnos pensar que construimos para siempre. Permita que no sea para la delicia presente ni para el uso presente solo. Permítale ser tal trabajo como nuestros descendientes nos darán gracias…” -John Ruskin 1849

Risinger Homes Jobsite Rules:

Las pautas para el sitio del trabajo:

Absolutely no activity before 7:00a.m. (8:00 a.m. Saturday) or after 7:00p.m.  This means no hammers, compressors, saws, radios, or yelling.  NO WORK ON SUNDAYS.

Absolutamente no actividad antes de 7:00a.m. (8:00 de la mañana. El sábado) o después de 7:00p.m. Esto significa no martillos, los compresores, las sierras, las radios, ni gritar.

Ningún TRABAJO LOS DOMINGOS.

All material and debris to be kept off the streets.  Look for garbage in the streets and neighbors yards at the end of each day.

No Ponga materia y los escombros en las calles. Busque basura en las calles o colinde yardas a finales de cada día.

Drugs and alcohol will not be tolerated on site before, during or after working hours.

Las drogas y el alcohol no se tolerarán en el sitio antes, durante ni después de trabajar horas.

Smoking is prohibited on this property.  If you need to smoke you must be in your vehicle on the street.

El fumar se prohibe.

Job site cleanup is mandatory daily and the responsibility of each vendor and/or contractor.  This includes properly disposing of all soda cans, cups and lunch trash. Let’s maintain a clean and orderly jobsite.  This house must be 100% broom swept before the next trade arrives.

Limpieza general del sitio es obligatoria diaria y la responsabilidad de cada vendedor y/o el contratista. Esto incluye deshaciéndose apropiadamente de todas botes de soda, extremos de copas y cigarrillo. Permita que nosotros mantengamos un lugar de trabajo limpio y ordenado. Esta casa debe ser escoba barrida antes que  el próximo comercio llega.

All contractors are responsible for complying with OSHA regulations.

Todos contratistas son responsables de conformar con las regulaciones de OSHA.

Refer all homeowner or neighbor questions or comments to Risinger Homes personnel.  Office Number XXX-XXX-XXXX

Refiérase todas preguntas de propietario o a vecino o comentarios al personal de Hogares de Risinger XXX-XXX-XXXX

Feel free to cut/paste these if you want to make your own.  You have my permission to use this, but I’d recommend putting these into your “voice” and modifying the rules to work for your jobs and business. What rules have you found helpful to implement on the job site? I’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments section.

Best,

Matt Risinger

Risinger Homes in Austin, TX

Visit my Blog at www.MattRisinger.com

Risinger Homes is a custom builder and whole house remodeling contractor that specializes in Architect driven and fine craftsmanship work. We utilize an in-house carpentry staff and the latest building science research to build dramatically more efficient, healthy and durable homes.

Be sure to check out my video blog on YouTube

follow me on Twitter @MattRisinger

Instagram @RisingerBuild

Risinger Homes on Facebook

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Job signage is important, but it's just as important to review the rules with your employees and sub-contractors. 

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  1. renosteinke | Sep 01, 2015 05:23pm | #1

    Rules, rules, rules .... Hey, Emperor- how about spending a day in MY shoes? Maybe then your rules would read something like these:

    1) All will be treated with respect. This means that the porta-potties will be clean and smell fresh ... and that a real working toilet will be made available ASAP (rather as the last finishing touch). Porta-potties will also be placed convenient to the work site (rather than on the far side of the site).

    2) Likewise every effort will be made to close the site off from the weather ASAP. This means we'll cover windows and rig doors from plywood as soon as we have walls. It means we'll heat, vent, and condition the site so you're neither forced to bundle up like the Michelin man, nor have sweat dripping from you.

    We'll also provide the means to make this a SECURE site. We'll have fences and gates, and some way to bar doors and windows when no one is here.

    3) Site access will be a top priority. We do not expect you to park in a quagmire and slog through mud in order to reach the building. Nor do we expect you to clamber like monkeys to get in the front door; temporary stairs will be constructed.

    4) Every room will have a light, and a power point. There should be no need for miles of cords to snake through the halls, to cluster together at countless triple-taps.

    5) Space will be assigned, and facilities provided, for material storage. We will not expect (as an example) every trade to spend months tripping over stacks of drywall placed in every room.

    6) No one likes trash underfoot- so there will be places to put it .... and we don't mean an 8-ft high dumpster placed on the other side of a 100-yd sea of mud and broken earth.

    With that in mind, we will NOT stuff our trash and work scraps into wall cavities, crawl spaces, and other dark corners.

    7) We all love music- OUR music. Devices will have their volumes set low enough that normal conversation is not affected. When a trade has to communicate across the site, the music will STOP. BTW ... if you expect me to tolerate your "music," you will be expected to also tolerate my talk radio.

    8) We do "Fine Home Building." "Code minimum" is not in our vocabulary. It ought not matter whether something will bee seen, or if an inspector will check it.

    Finally,

    9) Everyone, myself included, will pay their bills ASAP. No money games / "billing cycles" / holdbacks or other such silliness will be tolerated.

  2. AndyEngel | Sep 15, 2015 12:45pm | #2

    Spoken like an experienced subcontractor, Renosteinke. I don't know how many houses I trimmed that had no Dumpster or porta-john, and one power point for the whole house.

  3. user-6752228 | Jun 11, 2017 04:51pm | #3

    No wording about safety? I like to have a quick talk to my coworkers and subs about safety before we start a job. You must wear safety glasses always and hearing protection if you're operating any tool that makes noise. No cowboying. Think ahead. Look out for your coworkers.
    To this end I always have extra safety glasses and ear protection in case someone drops/loses/forgets theirs.
    Nothing kills productivity and profits like having someone get hurt.

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